Steam drier



Mrch 10, 1931. s. s. RIEGEL 1,795,890

STEAM DRIER -Filed May 24. 1927 z sheets-sneer 1- March '10,' 1931. s. s. RIEGEL 1,795,390

STEAM DR 1ER v Filed May 24, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 10, 1931` UNITED STATES Parent f entice SAMUEL s. RIEGEL, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA STEAM ijn-IER VrApplication, filed May 24, 1927. serial No. 193,818.

at maximum efliciency at the same time that it decreases the life of the steaml engine. There is nothing that removes the lubricant from .the cylinder surfaces as eifectively as water and it becomes highly important therefore tomaintain the cylinders free from this steam entrained water, thus `not only permitting the cylinders to be more freely and properly lubricated but also greatly minimizing the wearon piston rods, packingrings, piston heads and other parts'of the engine. The removal of entrained water 4from the entering '25 steam makes the supply to the superheater as n ea-rlyd'ryand clean as'possible, thus Anot only accomplishing large economies by providing the locomotive with a higher degree of superheatb-ut also enabling it to handle 30 increased loads with greater ease andqfacility. It is among the principal objects 'of this inventionk to obviate the above mentioned ob'- jectionable features anddiliiculties by providinga device which is capable of efliciently 35 and effectively removing the entrained water from the entering steam.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a throttle box construction which is simple in construction and effective inoperation, the entrained water being removed yfrom the steam by the action of gravity and capilliary attraction.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a novel and effective manifold 45 for receiving and collecting the moisture cast thereon due to the high velocity of the steam I entering the nozzles, these latter conforming in principle to the constructionofVenturi tubes for passing the lentering steam expan- 0 sively therethrough intothe throttle box.

A still further object of the invention the' provision of a singleseated throttle` valve of the balanced type which is easily operative to permit the passage therethroughV of the steam from which the moisture has been rel .55 moved.

`Other objects, incident to the invention f will appear more fully hereinafter in con-A nection with the following description ofthe accompanying drawings which illustrate a .60 preferred*embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is aV vertical central section through a throttle valve and steam drier embodying the principles of the present invention, the' valve being shown seated; 65

v Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing only the valve construction, the v valve in this instance being shown .unseated; and Y v Figure 3 is a partial pla-n and partial sec- .70 tion taken on the line 8 3 of Figure `1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that within` the steam dome 10 of the locomotive is located a throttle box, the'main body of which is designated generally by the reference numeral 11. rlfhe' upper portion of this box is provided with the substantially vertically extending stand pipe 12., the lower end of which communicates with the outlet 18 leading to thedry pipe'. 80

(not shown). Arranged concentrically`4 about the stand pipe`12, and forming an integral part of the main body 11 of the throttle box, is the annular wall 14, thisl annular wall forming with the exterior surface of the stand pipe 12 a substantially annular chamber 15 for receiving the water as the latter is separatedfrom the entering steam. i In order to facilitate the drainageof the 'water from 90 the chamber 15, ther bottom wall 16 thereof is inclined, the chamber being further provided at the lowest point thereof with an voutlet 17. A drip pipe 18 has its upper end Y received Ywithin the outlet 17, the lower end of this pipe being providedwith a ball check valve or equivalent device 19. Any pressure from above the valve causes the latter to operate so as topermitthe water which has been' separated vfrom the steam to vpass through the valve and back into the boiler to be converted into steam.

Suitably and removably supported between and extending across the intervening space between the wall 14 and the stand pipe 12 is a perforated screen, grid or netting 2O and supported upon this screen 2O are plurality of closely spaced concentric plates 21 constituting a manifold for collecting the water or moisture thrown olf by the steam as it enters the throttle box under high velocity. Preferably, alternate plates of the manifold are corrugated for the purpose of facilitating its act-ion, the water which is collectedthereby passing, by its own gravity and capillary attraction, through the screen or netting 2O into the bottom of the chamber 15 from whence it passes through the drip pipe 1S and valve 19 back into t-he boiler or into the water compartment of the locomotive Vtender as may be desired.

Suitably mounted upon the upper end of the annular wall 1l is the removable cover plate 22, this plate constituting, when in position, the upper wall sections and top of the steam separating chamber. This top member 22 may besecured in position by any suit-able means such, for example, as the bolts 40, talring into lugs on the upper portion of the pipe 12. As is most clearly shown in Figure k1, the plate 22 is spaced vertically above the upper end of the stand pipe 12 and is provided with a plurality of circumferentially s paced steam expanding nozzles 23. rlhese nozzles, which are angularly projected'into the separating chamber, are designed to operate substantially in accordance with the principle of operation of Venturi tubes, the nozzles being provided for this purpose with restricted central portions and the ends with oppositely expanding portions. Both the size and num` ber of nozzles employed are sufficient to provide proper steam entrance from the steam dome 10 into the throttle box, the entering steam being forced to pass expansively through the nozzles.

The action of the TVenturi nozzles is to increase the velocity of the steam and its entrained water at the restrictions thereof. 'I he water, in being discharged from the nozzles, will continue to travel substantially at the increased-velocity in view of the yfact that it does not expand appreciably. \The entrained particles or drops of water are, therefore, thrown against the set of plates 21 with great force with the result that the water or moisture is very effectivelyY trapped within the separator. It should be noted that further carrying of moisture by the steam is additionally guarded against by the general arrangement of the parts, the same causing the steam to double back on itself before entering the stand pipe 12. In order to control the passage of this steam which has been freed of moisture, there is provided a balanced type of single seated valve designated generally by the reference numeral 24. For this purpose a removable valve seat 25 is arranged between the bottom end of thestand pipe 12 and the outlet 13. The valve chamber is conipleted by the provision of a cup shaped meniber 26 comprising the centrally apertured cap 27 and the substantially cylindrical wall 28, which latter is adapted to be inserted into the main body 11 of the throttle box from the side opposite the outlet 13. Elongated slots 29 are provided in the cylindrical wall 28 of the valve member 26. A. stem 30 provided with a suitable stuiiing box 31 is longi tudinally operable through the aperture in the cap 27 and is provided at its inner end with a pilot valve 32 normally seated against the main valve 33. The stem 3G is provided with an extension 34C projecting beyond the pilot valve 32 and secured to this extension are nuts 35 the inner one of which is adapted to engage the outer'surface of the valve 33. A balancing piston 36 secured to and operable with the main valve 33 is arranged within the cylindrical portion 28 of the valve member 26', this balancing piston being provided with an aperture 37 connecting the balancing chamber formed by the piston 36 and the cap portion 27 with the stand pipe 12.

It will be seen that as the stem 30 is actuated by the operating mechanism 3,3, which latter is suitably hinged at 39 to Vthe cover plate 22, the pilot valve will be drawn outwardly and away from the main valvey 33, thus permitting steam to pass through the aperture 3'?` in the piston 36 and beyond the pilot valve 32. Further outward movement of the stem 30 results in the inner nut 35 engaging the rear face of the main valve 33, whereupon the latter is lifted from its seat 25, there being practically no resistance offered to this unseating due to the fact that there is a continuous release of pressure in the balancing chamber through the pilot during the period that the throttle valve is unseated. f

Figure 2 clearly shows the relative arrangement of the parts when the valve 33 is in its operatively openV position. To effect rescating or closure of the valve against the passage of the dry steam from the stand pipe 12 to the outlet 13, it is only necessary to oper ate the actuating mechanism 33 to cause the pilot valveV 32 to seat against the main valve 33, thus closing the outlet from the balancing chamber of the valve structure. Further movement of the actuating mechanism, and accordingly of the stem 30, Veffects further movement of the main valve 33, the piston 36 being returned to its normal position due to the fact that it is arranged to move with the main valve 33. I ela1m:'

1. In a steam separator, an integral casting including a pair of concentricupstanding walls, means for closing the space between said walls atthe bottom thereof, a substantially inverted cup-shaped member supported upon the upper edge of the outer of said walls, and a plurality of steam admission nozzles supported by and spaced circumferentially about the peripheral edge of said meinber, said nozzles having` their inner ends projecting into the space between said concentric walls toOether with se aratorplates in said a in i l space.

2. In a steam separator, an integral casting including a pair of concentric upstandingl walls, means for closing the space between said walls at the bottom thereof, a cover member supported upon the upper edge of said outer wall with the main body thereof spaced vertically above the upper edge of said inner wall, and a pluralitv of steam nozzles projecting through said main body of the cover member, each of said nozzles beine' pro; vided with a restricted central portionv and an expanding outlet portion, together with separator plates in the space between said walls.

3. In a steam separator, an integralcasting including a pair of concentrically arranged upstanding walls, a grid member eX- tending transversely across the space between said walls, anda plurality of concentric plate members supported upon said grid member', means for directing the steam withr its entrained water into said plate members,

said grid and plate members constituting ay manifold for collecting the water.

il. In a steam separator, a main body member including a pair of outer and inner upstanding walls the space between which is close-d at the bottom, a rcover member sup-V ported upon the outer of said walls and vertically spaced with respect to the top of the inner wall, means for projecting the en-A trained water at high velocity into the space between said walls, Aand means disposed within said space for collecting the water.

5. In a steam separator, main body member including a` pair of outer and inner cylindrical walls, means for closing the space between said walls rat the bottomthereof, the space inside of the inner of said walls serving as a discharge passage for the steam free-d from moisture, means for projecting the steam with its entrained water into the space between said walls, a grid member disposed transversely across said space in position to receive the water to be retained in the boiler, and a plurality of concentrically arranged plates disposed in said space and supported upon said grid, said plates being alternately corrugated.

6. In combination with a steam dome, a separator therein including a closed chamber, an upwardly opening stand-pipe in said chambercommunicating with an outlet,.sep-

arator plates arranged in vsaid chamber around said stand-pipe and a Venturi nozzle s side and a'Venturi nozzle for directing the steam water against the edges of said plates."

8. ji steam and water separator including a chamber having an outlet, a pluralityv of plates in said chamber arranged side by side and a Venturi nozzle in the wall of saidl chamber positioned to direct the steam and water angularly against the edges of said plates.

.9. The combination of a. steam'domewith a steam and water separator therein including a substantially closed chamber having an upwardly open stand-pipe fordischarge `of driedy steam, a plurality of cylindrical separator plates spaced from each other and arranged on edge concentrically around .the stand-pipe and a plurality of Venturi nozzles in the wall of the chamber arranged in a ring overlying and directed toward said plates for admission of steam and water from the 'dome into said chamber toward the said plates, whereby the water is violently thrown into the-spaces between the plates and the steam is'caused to follow a circuitous path to the opening of said 'stand-pipe. l0. The combination ofk a steam'dome with a steam and water separator therein including a substantially closed chamber having an outlet Vfor dried steam, a plurality of spaced separator plates and a Venturi nozzle in the wall oflthe chamberfor admitting steam and its entrained water from the dome into the chamber, said nozzle being directed toward said plates and away from said outlet, whereby theentrained water is violently thrown into Vthe spaces betweenthe plates and the steam is, separated and caused yto change its course to reach said outlet.

l1. The combination of a steam dome with a steam and water separator therein including a substantially closed chamber having an outlet for dried steam, a plurality of spaced separator plates, a Venturi' nozzle in the wall of the chamber for admitting steam with its entrained waterfrom the dome into the chamber, said nozzle being directed-toward said plates and means below said plates for collecting the separated water andreturning the same to the boiler.

l2. The combination of a steam dome with a steam and water separator therein including a substantially closed chamber having an outlet for dried steam, a plurality of spaced separator plates, a Venturi nozzle in the wall of the chamber for admitting steam ward said plates and means below said plates for collecting the separated water and returning the same to the boiler including an inclined wall at the bottom of said chamber and a return pipe communicating with the chamber at a point just above the low point of said wall.

13. ln a steam separator, a main body member including a. pair of outer and inner cylindrical walls, means for closing the space between said walls at the bottom thereof, the space inside the inner of said walls serving as a discharge passage vfor the steam freed from the moisture, means for projecting the steam with its entrained water into the space between said walls, a grid member disposed transversely across said space in position to receive the water to be retained in the boiler, and a plurality of concentrically arranged plates disposed in said space and supported upon said grid.

14. A combined steam and water separator and throttle mechanism including` a ring of spaced separator plates, means for projecting the steam with its entrained water into the spaces between said plates, a dry steam discharge conduit extending upwardly through and opening above said plates and throttle box communicating with the lower end of said conduit.

15. A combined steam and water separator and throttle mechanism including a ring of spaced separator plates, means for projecting the steam with its entrained water into 'i the spaces between said plates, 'a dry steam discharge conduit extending upwardly through and opening above said plates, a throttle box communicating with the lower end of said conduit, a balanced .piston arranged for movement in said box and a throttle valve operable with said piston.

16. A steam and water separator including a plurality of annular concentric plates and a Venturi nozzle .tor directing the steam and water against the edges of said plates.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

SAMUEL S. RIEGEL. 

